Report: Michigan, Marquette and Cal investigating after exclusive shoes were possibly sold by players

North Carolina, which suspended 13 players for selling exclusive team shoes, has contacted Michigan, Marquette and Cal to inform them that some of their exclusive shoes may have been sold too. (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)

North Carolina has contacted Michigan, Marquette and Cal after the retailer that the Tar Heels players sold their shoes to told them that it also bought shoes from the other schools, according to an ESPN report. All three schools are currently investigating.

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Now, just because the retailer bought the exclusive Jordan shoes from the three schools doesn’t mean that players sold them. According to ESPN, basketball teams generally receive no more than 50 pairs of exclusive shoes, and football teams receive no more than 200-300. Some of those shoes are given to executives and celebrities, and some may have been donated to charity.

Of the three schools listed in the ESPN report, Michigan had the most shoes listed on shoe-marketplace side StockX with 23 pairs, averaging more than $4,600 a pair.

According to the report, Michigan has its players sign a form stating that they know selling the shoes will jeopardize their eligibility. They also have the shoes marked with the players’ name or number. Marquette told ESPN that it will now have players wear the shoes more than once in an effort to decrease their value and make it “less tempting to sell them.”

13 North Carolina football players were suspended on Monday for selling the team shoes, which is a secondary NCAA violation. OL Brian Anderson, DL Malik Carney, WR Beau Corrales, DE Tomon Fox, DE Tyrone Hopper, OL Quiron Johnson, LB Malik Robinson, QB Chazz Surratt and OL Jordan Tucker were suspended for four games. DB Greg Ross and TB Tre Shaw were suspended two games, and QB Jack Davidson and OL Jonah Melton were suspended for one game.